Corn-topper.



No. 876,615. PATENTED JAN. 14, 1908.

s. E. woons.

. GORN TOPPERR APBLICATION FILED JUNE 8.1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

.No. 876,615. PATENTED JAN. 14, 1908.

s. E. woons.

CORN TOFFEE.-

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 8.1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

n4: NcRRIs PETERS ca, wAsumcmN. m'c.

SAMUEL E. WOODS, OF LOOKWOOD, OKLAHOMA.

ooRN-ToPPER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 14, 1908.

Application filed June 8. 1907. Serial No. 377.954"

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL E. Woons, a citizen of the United States,residing at Lockwood, in the county of Beaver, Oklahoma, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvemcnts in Corn-Toppers; and I do here bydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

The present invention has reference to improvements in corn toppers, andit aims to provide an extremely simple, durable, and effective device ofthat nature for harvesting the heads of such grains as Kafir-corn,broomcorn, and sorghum, or the like, the device being capable of readyattachment to the body of a wagon.

To this end, the device comprises a jointed triangular guide-plate, aknife disposed slightly in the rear of the guide-plate, and a guide-armdisposed adjacent the forward edge of the guide-plate, the two guidescooperating to direct the tops of the grain to the knife, both the knifeand the guide-arm being secured to the rear member of the jointed frameof the attachment, which frame may be broken to adjust the position ofthe knife.

The invention will be readily understood from a consideration of thefollowing detailed description, and its preferred embodiment isillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which like parts aredesignated by corresponding reference numerals in the several views.

Of the said drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of a wagon having theimproved topper attached thereto. Fig. 2 is a top plan view. Fig. 3 is asection taken on the line 8-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4- is a side elevation ofthe attachment taken from the interior of the wagon. Fig. 5 is a bottomplan view of the attachment.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the reference numeral 7indicates generally a wagon body provided with a pair of rear wheels 8,the side-boards 9 of the wagonbody and the floor 10 thereof extendingrearwardly beyond the wheels, as shown in Fig. 2, to provide a platform11 for the operator. The floor is likewise extended slightly beyond thefront end of the wagon body, and to this extension is attached a pivotedbracket carrying a guide wheel 1.2, to which bracket a clevis 13 isfastened.

The height of one of the side boards and of the rear end board of thewagon body is slightly less than that of the opposite side board and ofthe front end board, as shown in Fig. 1., there being a pair of uprights14 mounted within the wagon body adjacent the opposite corners of thelower side board, the forward upright having a vertically-arrangedseries of perforations 15 formed therethrough.

Carried by the uprights is a corn-topping attachment which is disposedlongitudinally of the wagon body and consists of a supporting bar 16,comprising a front member 17 and a rear member 18, the mutually adjacentinner ends of said members being hinged together, such connectionforming a breakjoint. Mounted upon the supporting bar is anapproximately triangular shaped guide plate 19, which is likewise formedin two parts, the front member 20 being connected to the front member ofthe bar, and the rear member 21 to the rear member of the bar. Themutually adjacent inner ends of the members of the guide-plate aredisposed parallel with each other and at right-angles to the supportingbar, each of said members therefore being in the form of a right-angledtriangle.

The member 18 of the bar projects at its rear end directly over theplatform 11, and is connected adjacent such end to a rear brace 22,disposed in advance of which is a brace 23, which is likewise fastenedto said member intermediate its ends and projects outwardly andforwardly of the wagon body, the inner ends of the braces 22 and 23being connected by a longitudinal brace 24. The space between saidbraces and the adjacent member of the supporting bar therefore forms aguide-opening through which the rear upright extends.

Secured to the outer ends of the braces 22 and 23 is a guide-arm 25,which is likewise inclined outwardly and forwardly of the wagon body andis reduced at its forward ends, as shown, the reduced portionterminating in an inwardly-directed curve, adjacent which point acutting blade 26 is se- 7 member 18 of the supporting bar.

cured at its outer end to said arm, the inner end of the blade beingsecured to the bar member 17. This blade, which fits against the underface of the forward brace 23 and is secured thereto, has its cuttingedge disposed parallel with and in spaced relation. to the rear edge ofthe member 21 of the guide plate, the apex of said member being slightlycurved, as shown, to correspond with the curved terminus of the reducedportion of the guide-arm, so that when the wagon is in motion the topsof the corn will be obviously directed by the guide-arm against thecutting edge of the blade.

The outer edge of the member 20 of the guide plate carries an upstandingtriangular shoulder 27, whose beveled rear edge extends across the outerend of the member 21, the opposite ends of said shoulder being rounded,as shown. The brace 23 is likewise pro vided with an upstanding shoulder28 secured to its rear face, said shoulder having a forward extension 29which is secured to the outer face of the guide-arm 26.

In attaching the topping device to the wagon body, a laterallyprojecting pin 30 carried by the member 1.7 of the bar is inserted inone of the perforations in the forward upright, and the rear uprightpassed through the chamber formed by the braces 22, 23, and 24, and bythe rear end. of the In such position the supporting bar is disposeddirectly above the upper edge of the adjacent side board of the wagonbody in order to permit a depending stop 31 carried by the member 18 tocontact thereagainst to slightly incline the members of the supportingbar with respect to each other, the joint between said members beingthus partly broken. When, however, it is desired to dispose the membersof the bar and guide plate at a greater angle to each other, the handleend of the rear member of the bar is depressed by the operator,thusbreaking the joint to a greater extent and, in consequence, changingthe angle at which the knife is disposed. The parts are retained inadjusted position by means of a toothed. lever 32, which is pivoted tothe wagon body adjacent the rear upright and is adapted for engagementwith one or the other of a pair of laterally-projecting teeth 33, withwhich the rear member of the guide plate is provided. It will beunderstood that the forward member of the supporting bar may be furtheradjusted owing to the interchangeable engagement of its pin 30 in theperforations formed through the forward upright.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that when the wagon is driventhrough the field the corn will be directed by the combined action ofthe front member of the guide plate and the guide arm into the channelleading severs the tops of the corn, which fall onto the upper face ofthe guide plate, from thence into the wagon body.

What is claimed, is

1. The combination, of a wagon body having a pair of uprights mountedtherein adj a cent the opposite ends of one of its side boards; acorn-topping device carried by said uprights and consisting of a jointedguideplate comprising a front member and a rear member, a blade disposedparallel with and in spaced relation to the rear edge of thelastnientioned member, and a guide-arm adapted to direct the corn tosaid blade; and means adapted for engagement with said rear member whenthe joint between the latter and said front member is broken to retain'said members in adjusted position with respect to each other.

2. The combination of a wagon body having a pair of uprights mountedtherein adjacent the op'posite ends of one of its side boards; acorn-topping device carried by said uprights and including a jointedtriangular guide-plate comprising a front member and a rear member, ablade disposed parallel with and in spaced relation to the rear edge ofthe last-mentioned member, and a guide arm inclined outwardly andforwardly of the wagon body and adapted to direct the corn to saidblade; and means adapted for engagement with said rear member, when thejoint between the latter and said front member is broken to retain saidmembers in adjusted position with respect to each other.

3. The combination of a wagon body having a pair of uprights mountedtherein adj acent the opposite ends of one of its side boards a corn-toping device carried by said uprights and me uding a jointed supportingbar disposed longitudinally of the wagon body, a two-part guide-platehaving each member thereof secured to the adjacent member of said bar, aguide arm inclined outwardly and forwardly of the wagon body andconnected to the rear member of said bar, and a blade connected atopposite ends to the latter member and to said guide-arm, said guide-armbeing adapted to direct the corn to said blade; and means adapted forengagement with the rear member of said guide-plate when the jointbetween the memto the cutting blade, the edge of which member thereof,said "triangular members having their mutually adjacent inner edgesdisposed parallel with each other and at rightangles to said bar, aguide-arm inclined outwardly and forwardly of the wagon body andconnected to the rear member of said bar, and a blade connected atopposite ends to said last-mentioned member and said guide-armand'disposed in spaced relation to the rear edge of the rear member ofsaid guide-plate, said guide-arm being adapted to direct the corn tosaid blade; and means adapted for engagement with the rear member ofsaid guide-plate when the joint between the members of said bar isbroken to retain said members in adjusted position with respect to eachother.

5. The combination of a wagon body hav ing a pair of uprights mountedtherein adj acent the opposite ends of one of its side boards, theforward upright having a vertically arranged series of perforationsformed therethrough; a corn-top ing device carried by said uprights andinc uding a supporting bar comprising a front member and a rear memberhinged together, said front member having a laterally-projecting pin forengagement in one of the perforations in said for ward upright, aguide-plate carried by said bar and comprising a triangular front memberfastened to the front member of said bar and a triangular rear memberfastened to the rear member thereof, said triangular members havingtheir mutually-adjacent inner edges disposed parallel with each otherand at right-angles to said bar, a guide-arm inclined outwardly andforwardly of the wagon body and connected to the rear member of saidbar, and. a blade connected at opposite ends to said last-mentionedmember and said guide-arm and disposed in spaced relation to the rearedge of the rear member of said guide-plate, said guide-arm beingadapted to direct the corn to said blade; means adapted for engagementwith the rear member of said plate, when the joint between the membersof said bar is broken to retain said members in adjusted position withrespect to each other; and a stop carried by one of said mem bers forengagement with the upper edge of the adjacent side board of the wagonbody.

In testimony whereof, I afliX my signature, in presence of twowitnesses.

SAMUEL E. WOODS. Witnesses:

C. CURTIS, J. CURTIs.

